The nation's first blanket ban on cell phone use while driving has been approved by Chapel Hill, N.C. Drivers will be barred from all cell phone conversations, including those conducted via hands-free and voice-activated accessories. The law takes effect June 1 and the fine is $25. The town provided "some real leadership" on the distracted driving issue, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said in response. The Chapel Hill law isn't as groundbreaking as it may appear, however. The new law presents two significant loopholes for those who can't go without driving and … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2012
West Va. bans texting, cell phones
March 10, 2012 by 6 Comments
"I want West Virginians to remain free from distracted drivers," Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin told lawmakers back in January. They listened. The governor's advocacy proved to be the key to breaking the state's long deadlock over distracted driving, with the Legislature approving his plan to outlaw text messaging and the use of handheld cell phones for those operating motor vehicles. (Update: Tombin signed the West Virginia distracted driving legislation into law on April 3. This article originally posted March 10, 2012.) As time expired on the legislative session late March 10, the House and … [Read more...]
OTS: Calif. cell phone deaths falling
March 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
California fatalities linked to handheld cell phone use fell by almost half following enactment of the state's ban on use of the wireless devices while driving, a new study indicates. In the two years following the July 2008 adoption of the distracted driving law, handheld cell phone driver deaths decreased 47 percent, the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) at the University of California, Berkeley, found. Similar reductions occurred in the number of injuries, as well as deaths associated with cell phone use with hands-free accessories, SafeTREC said. Overall, … [Read more...]
Comedy of errors in Arizona’s House
March 5, 2012 by 3 Comments
Long resistant to distracted driving laws, Arizona's House appeared to have a sudden change of heart. Representatives approved a statewide ban on text messaging while driving. For a few minutes, anyway. An outbreak of common sense? An awakening to the deadly toll of electronic distracted driving? Hardly. Turns out the reps were just doing their Keystone Cops imitation. A swarm of legislators weren't paying attention days earlier when Rep. Steve Urie added his texting ban language to HB 2125, an unrelated bill concerning accident reporting. After approving the texting/accident reporting … [Read more...]
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